


Durin's Coaches

by Small_Hobbit



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 06:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13335492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Bilbo Baggins works as Commercial Manager for Durin's Coaches, and observes life in a coach travel company.





	Durin's Coaches

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ/DW WhatIf AU's Workplace Challenge.
> 
> For those who don't know what a UK coach is, they look similar to a Greyhound bus.

There were days when Bilbo was glad he only worked in the office.  It was true it meant there were awkward phone calls with difficult customers who seemed convinced, because they could drive in their car from A to B in under three hours, there was no reason a coach couldn’t manage to do the same.  After all, perish the thought the car almost certainly travelled at 75 mph (illegal but unlikely to be stopped), but a coach was restricted to 62 mph.  And the car had last done the journey at a quiet time of year, and the coach would have to traverse the busiest junction at rush hour, plus there were major road works on the motorway.  However Bilbo could quote the magic words ‘Health and Safety’, a travesty he knew, but the customer would get off the phone muttering about unnecessary government intervention.  And he could do all that from behind a closed office door, which meant he was able to ignore the chaos elsewhere, which would be impossible if he were on the yard.

Somewhat later, Bilbo decided to venture out and see whether any of the chaos had abated.  Glancing at the clock told him it was almost lunchtime, so he picked up the two lunch boxes he’d carefully packed earlier that morning, and went in search of Thorin, thinking he’d suggest they could eat their lunch together.  He’d been going out with Thorin for about four months, when Thorin had suggested he’d be the ideal person to take on the role of Commercial Manager.  Two months after that Bilbo had moved in with Thorin, and, it appeared, become an integral part of Durin Coaches.

Thorin was the grandson of the founder of Durin Coaches and currently the Transport Manager.  Following his father’s illness, his parents had taken a year off and were on a leisurely tour of the world (by anything but coach), leaving Thorin nominally in charge.  Although his grandfather still had certain thoughts on ‘How a coach business should be run’, and he was known to appear, make various changes and depart again, leaving Thorin to sort out the resultant problems.  On top of all the other problems which running a busy coach company inevitably produced.

Bilbo cautiously made his way into the yard, to find Thorin and Dwalin, the chief mechanic, looking at a coach which currently had a large dent in the middle and was missing some of the window glass.

Dwalin caught sight of Bilbo, and said, “Don’t ask!  But no, it wasn’t our fault, and it will all be covered by the insurance.”

“Still leaves us down a vehicle,” Thorin grumbled.  “Because you haven’t finished fixing the heater matrix you were working on yesterday.”

“Which, of course, has nothing to do with having to go with you to pick up this current disaster, rather than work on it this morning,” Dwalin replied.  “Anyway, it’s lunch time.  Take a break and we’ll see what we can sort this afternoon.”

Thorin snorted, but brightened up when Bilbo waved the lunchbox at him.  The two of them walked round to the back of the yard.  When Thror Durin had first started the company he had used the hard standing at the end of his long garden.  Gradually more of the garden had been concreted over to accommodate more coaches, but there was still a small patch of grass left, with a wooden bench.  It was there Bilbo and Thorin ate lunch whenever the weather was suitable.

They were walking towards the bench when Thorin’s phone rang.  He answered it, “Yes, all our drivers are fully qualified.  I have full confidence the driver will provide a service up to our usual standard.”

“What now?” Bilbo asked.

“Kili’s taking a party of school kids on a theatre trip.  The teacher was phoning up because ‘he does seem rather young.’  What does he expect me to say?  ‘We’re a bit short-staffed, so we’ve sent the work experience boy along.  It’s okay he can tell his left from his right.’”

Bilbo laughed.  “You must admit that’s a good start.  How far did Nori get before he realised he’d turned left and not right?”

Thorin groaned.  “Don’t remind me.” 

They sat down and Thorin opened his lunchbox, smiling appreciatively at the aroma of one of Bilbo’s quiches.  “Oh,” he added, “before I forget, Dis wants to discuss plans for next year; she’s got some good ideas.  She suggested we join her and Vili at theirs after work, and then we can have dinner with them afterwards.”

“Are you sure you want me to be there?  That sounds like it should be a family discussion.”

“I’m afraid, so far as everyone else is concerned, you are family.  Of course, if you’d prefer not to …”

“I’d be happy to come, but I don’t want to trample over anyone’s toes.”

“You won’t.  Even Dad’s accepted I’m never going to have a wife and you’re the one I’m going to be with.”

“I believe he referred to me as ‘the next best thing’ and I caught your Mum giving me rueful looks once or twice.”

“Dad has two perfectly good heirs to finally take over the company in Fili and Kili, so he’s really not bothered.  And Mum just wanted a granddaughter to buy pretty little dresses for.”

“Yes, I did get that impression.  But there’s still your grandfather.”

“Since he also doesn’t believe we need to worry about driver hours, and still says women can’t drive coaches, even though Dis has been driving for years, I am not going to worry about what he thinks.  And now I’d better get back and see how I’m going to change the vehicle allocations to cope with this latest difficulty.”

It was clearly common knowledge Bilbo would be at the discussion regarding the following year’s trips.  Shortly after he returned to his office, Balin, the accountant, came to see him to discuss preparation of the budget.  Bilbo protested he didn’t have the financial knowledge required, but Balin cheerfully waved this objection away.

“All I need you to do is provide the numbers and I’ll convert the data into formats which tell us how feasible a trip is, and how much we need to charge.  So cost of hotels, distances travelled, number of staff.  Plus entrance costs, and anything else which occurs to you.  Dis used to do a lot of this, but now she’s taken over the planning from Thrain, she won’t have the time to do it properly.”

“I’m not sure I’d know where to start,” Bilbo said.  “I’ve not done anything quite like that before.”

“Don’t worry, Dis will point you in the right direction and will still be able to give you a hand.  You’ll be fine.”

“Right.”  Bilbo wasn’t sure what else to say, but was prevented from having to do so because Thorin came crashing into the office.

“Oh, sorry.  Are you two in the middle of something?” Thorin said.

“I’m just leaving,” Balin replied.  “More problems?”

“Yes.  You know Dori’s been complaining about stomach pain for the last couple of days?  He went to A&E first thing this morning and has been admitted to hospital for a gall bladder operation.  He was due to go out on tour next week, so I’m going to need to change the whole rota.  I came in here to do so somewhere quieter.”

“Would it help if I left too?” Bilbo asked.

“No you’re fine.  Dwalin is alternately banging and swearing which makes it hard to concentrate in the yard.”

***

Bilbo enjoyed the meeting with Dis and Vili.  It hadn’t been nearly as formal as he’d expected.  Dis had shared her ideas for new and recurring tours both for the continent and for within the British Isles and Thorin and Vili had added their own thoughts.  Bilbo had even been asked for his opinion on several occasions, but had managed little more than, “I’m sure that would appeal to lots of people,” and “I’d love to go there”.

They had nearly finished, and Vili was about to stand up to fetch the food when Dis said, “There’s just one more thing, Bilbo.”

“Yes?”

“How would you feel about going on the Austrian tour as courier?  Thorin will be driving and he knows the destinations - he went there a few years ago - but will need someone who can help the passengers.  You’d do a great job!”

“Oh, I’d love to.  But, um, what about hotel rooms?”

“We’d share,” Thorin said.  “That’s why Vili and Dis do tours together – it’s cheaper that way.”

Dis rolled her eyes at her brother.

“Yes,” Bilbo said, “but Dis also does the relief driving.  I can’t do that.”

“You wouldn’t need to,” Thorin replied.  “The idea is Fili comes as second driver.  It will give him the experience, and I can handle the trickier roads until he’s totally confident.  He could courier as well, but we all thought that might be too stressful for him, and this would be the perfect solution.”

“Are you sure?  I don’t want to upset him,” Bilbo said.

“We can ask him at dinner,” Vili said.  “But I think he’ll be very happy.”

Vili went to fetch the food and shouted to Fili to come and help him.

“You will do it, won’t you?” Thorin asked Bilbo quietly.

“Yes, so long as everyone’s happy about it.”

Once everyone had been served and started eating Thorin said to Fili, “We’ve been discussing the Austria trip.”

Fili’s head jerked up, and Bilbo could see how nervous the young man was.

Thorin continued, “We thought it would be a good idea if Bilbo came along as courier, which would mean you could just concentrate on the driving.”

Fili grinned broadly.  “Bilbo, are happy about that?”

“Yes, so long as you are.”

“That would be wonderful.”

“Excellent!” Dis said.  “Let me propose a toast to the future of Durin Coaches!”

 


End file.
